Machine for handling multi-layer paper bag packages



oct. 9, 195e E. c. KRAUS ETAL 2,765,931

MACHINE FOR HANDLING MULTI-LAYER PAPER BAG PACKAGES Original Filed May14, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 9, 1956 E. c. KRAUS Erm.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING MULTI-LAYER PAPER BAG PACKAGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed May 14, 1947 Oct. 9, 1956 E. c. KRAus E-rAL 2,765,931

MACHINE FOR HANDLING MULTI-LAYER PAPER BAG PACKAGES original Filed May14. 1947 s sheds-sheets Oct. 9, 1956 E. c. KRAus ETAL 2,765,931

MACHINE FOR HANDLING MULTI-LAYER PAPER BAG PACKAGES original Filed may14, 194?y s sheets-sheet 4 Ela 7 ff .f2 v U CI 49 /o INVENTORS.

Oct. 9, 1956 E C, KRAUS ETAL 2,765,931

MACHINE FOR HANDLING MULTI-LAYER PAPER BAG PACKAGES Original Filed May 14. 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O MACHINE FOR HANDLINGMULTI-LAYER PAPER BAG PACKAGES Edwin C. Kraus and Maurice V. Douthitt,Ortonville, Minn.

Continuation of application Serial No. 748,132, May 14, 1g4706'1`hisapplication February 2, 1953, Serial No. 3 4,

8 Claims. (Cl. 214-851) Our invention relates to a novel method and ahighly efficient machine for handling tin cans to be lled.

As is well known, it is now quite the general practice for manufacturersof tin cans to ship the same to canning establishments without covers,in rectangular paper bags in which they are arranged in a plurality oftiers with a heavy paper divider between adjacent tiers. It is a slowand tedious process to remove these cans by hand from the bags in whichthey are shipped, and in placing the cans on conveying means thatcarries the same to a filling apparatus.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel method of encasing abag containing empty tin cans, in emptying the bag and in delivering thecans to conveying means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel lift operable tosuccessively bring tiers of empty tin cans into a position for dischargeas an entirety onto conveying means.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the followingdescription, reference being had to the drawings.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novelmethod, devices and combination of devices hereinafter described anddefined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a right side elevational view of the improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational View of the improved machine,some parts being sectioned;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view partly in right side elevation and partlyin section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View of one of the carriages having therein abag of cans, the side members of said bag having been severed at thebottom member and the bag partly lifted from the cans therein;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in side elevation and partly invertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view partly in plan and partly in sectiontaken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary View partly in top plan and partly in sectiontaken on the line 8-8 of Fig. l, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view principally in side elevation of the partsshown in Fig. 8.

The improved machine includes a main frame 10 and an auxiliary frame 11,in T arrangement, the former forming the head of the T. This main frame10 is long, relatively narrow and includes a pair of angle bars 12 atthe top and sides thereof. The horizontal flanges of the angle bars 12are in opposing relation and support thereon a flat, smooth sheet metaltable 13 and the vertifice cal flanges of said bars are upstanding andafford a pair of track rails 14. Formed in the table 13, at the1ongitudinal center thereof, is a rectangular opening for the platform15 of a lift 16.

Two identical carriages 17, except that they face in oppositedirections, are arranged to travel one over each end portion of thetable 13 to be successively positioned over the lift platforms 15. Pairsof grooved wheels 18, journaled on the side members 19 of each carriage17, are arranged to run on the track rails 14. On the outer end portionsof the rails 14 are upstanding stops 14 for the carriages 17. The backmember 20 of each carriage 17 is integral with the side members 19thereof and the front member 21 of said carriage affords a gate 22. Thisgate 22 is pivoted at 23 to a pair of upstanding arms 24, for outwardlyswinging movement. These arms 24 project materially above the sidemembers 19 to which they are rigidly secured.

Each gate 22 is normally held closed by a pair of hooklike catches 25that engage lock lugs 26 on the side members 19 of the carriage 17. Thepair of catches 25 are secured to a rock-rod 27 journaled in bearings 28on the gate 22, and which rod is manually operated by an upstandinghandle 29 on said rod.

Each carriage 17 is releasably held centered when positioned over thelift vplatform 15 by a pair of dogs 30, that extend linto notches 31between pairs of reversely inclined cams 32 on the outer sides of thetrack rails 14. These dogs 30 depend from a pair of horizontallydisposed arms 33 on a rock-rod 34 journaled in bearings 35 on the backmember 20 of the carriage 17. One of the arms 33 is extended to form ahandle 36 by which the arms 33 may be raised to withdraw the same fromthe lock notches 31. The dogs 3l) loosely work through guides 37 on thecarriage side members 19 and have stop shoulders 38 that engage theupper ends of the guides 37 and limit the downward movement of the dogs30 into said guides. Coiled springs 39 anchored to the carriage sidemembers 19 are attached to the arms 33 and yieldingly hold the dogs 30in operative positions. Obviously, as one of the carriages 17 is beingmoved toward the lift 16, its dogs 30 will engage the adjacent cams 32,be lifted thereby against the tension of the springs 39, and uponpassing said cams will be projected by the tensioned springs 39 into thelock notches 31.

A depending square shaft 40 is rigidly secured at its upper end to theunder side of the platform 15 at the center thereof and is provided witha plurality of ratchet teeth 41 longitudinally spaced equi-distancesapart. This shaft 40 extends into a correspondingly formed post 42rigidly secured to a base 43 on the frame 10. In the front of the post42 is a slot 44 in which the ratchet teeth 41 move.

Co-operating with the ratchet teeth 41 to lift the shaft 40 and hencethe platform 15 is a pawl 45 pivoted to a crank 46 on a shaft 47journaled in bearings 484on the post 42 and a bearing 49 on 4the frame10. On the outer end of the shaft 47 is a crank arm 50 pivotallyconnected by a link 52 to the lower or short end portion of anupstanding hand lever 51, in front of the frame 10. This hand lever 51is pivoted lto a bearing 53 on the outer end of a bar 54 rigidly securedto the frame 10.

Integral with the hub 55 of the pawl 45 is a lever extension 56connected to one of the arms of the crank 46 by a coiled spring 57. Thisspring 57 yieldingly holds the pawl 45 in engagement with any one of theratchet teeth 41, except the uppermost. When operating the hand lever 51to move the pawl 45 out of engagement with an engaged ratchet tooth 41and in lowering said pawl, the lever extension 56 engages an oblique arm58 on the frame member 43 and moves the pawl 45 pivotally on the crank46 for engagement with the next below ratchet tooth 41.

The upper end portion of the arm 58 is curved toward the shaft 40 tokeep the lever extension 56 in engagement with said arm.

A dog 59 is provided for holding the shaft 40, by being engaged by oneof the ratchet teeth 41, when the pawl 45 is out of engagement with aratchet tooth 41. This dog 59 is slidably mounted in a bearing 60 on theupper end portion of the post 42. A rod 61 is attached at one of itsends to the outer end of the dog 59 and its other end portion slidablyworks in a bearing 62 on the frame 10. The dog 59 is operated by a footlever 63 intermediately pivoted at 63' to the bar 54 and has on itsupper end a shipper fork 64 that straddles the rod 61 and engages acollar 65 on said rod. The lower end portion of the foot lever 63 ismaterially longer than the upper end portion thereof and extendsobliquely outwardly and has on its lower end a foot-piece 66. A coiledspring 59' anchored to the post 42 and attached to the dog 59 at itsouter end, yieldingly holds the dog 59 in an operative position.Obviously, by moving the foot-piece 66 inwardly, the foot lever 63 byits engagement with the collar 65, will retract the dog 59 and releasethe engaged ratchet tooth 41.

To lower the lift 16, the hand lever 51 is operated to move the pawl 45out of engagement with the engaged ratchet tooth 41 and the foot lever63 is operated to withdraw the dog 59 from the ratchet tooth 41 thatrests thereon, and thus allows the 'lift 16 to drop by the force ofgravity. In the bottom of the post 42 is a rubber buffer 67 which actsas a stop when the lift 16 is released.

The lift 16 is held by straight line raising and lowering movements byfour corner rods 68 that are telescoped into tubular posts 69. The rods68 are rigidly secured to the platform on its under side and dependtherefrom and the posts 69 are rigidly secured to the base 43.

It is important to note that the carriage back member and the gate 22extend materially above the side members 19 for a purpose which willhereinafter appear.

On the top of the auxiliary frame 11 is a deck 70 on which rests theupper run of a wide, endless conveyor belt 71. This belt 71 runs over adriven front pulley 72 and a rear idle pulley 73, the shaft 74 of whichis journaled in bearings on the frame 11. The shaft 75 of the pulley 72is journaled in bearings on the frame 11 and has on one of its endportions a large spur gear 76 that meshes with a spur pinion 77 on theframe 11 directly below the shaft 75.

A crossed belt 79 runs over a large pulley 80, on the opposite endportion of the shaft 78 from the spur pinion 77, and a small pulley 81on a counter-shaft 82 journaled in bearings on the frame 11. Thiscounter-shaft 82 is driven from an electric motor 83 mounted on theframe 11 under the deck 70 by a belt 84 that runs over a small pulley 85on the armature shaft 86 of the motor 83 and a large pulley 87 on thecounter-shaft 82.

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the upper run of theconveyor belt 71 is substantially in the plane of the upper edges of thecarriage side members 19.

A pair of narrow conveyor belts 88 extend parallel to the conveyor belt71 and are closely positioned one at each longitudinal edge of theconveyor belt 71. These two conveyor belts 88 run over driven pulleys89, on a shaft 90 journaled in bearings on the front end of the frame11, and rear idle pulleys 91 on a shaft 92 journaled in bearings on saidframe. The shaft 90 is driven by a belt 93 that runs over a large pulley94 on the shaft 90 and a small pulley 95 on the counter-shaft 82.

The conveyor belts 71 and 88 are all driven in the same direction, asindicated by arrows thereon in Fig. 2, and their upper runs are all inthe same plane. The conveyor belt 71 extends rearwardly of the conveyorbelts 88 and the conveyor belts 88 extend forwardly of the conveyor belt71.

Guard rails 96 secured to the deck 70 extend from the frame 10 forwardlyalong the longitudinal edge portions of the conveyor belt 71 and overlapthe inner longitudinal edges of the conveyor belts 88 at their rear endportions. At the outer longitudinal edges of the conveyor belts 88 areguard rails 97 secured to the frame 11 and extend substantially the fulllength of said belts. A short deck 98, attached to the guard rails 96,extends from the frame 10 to the upper run of the conveyor belt 71 andis in the same plane as said upper run.

Overlying the front end portion of the conveyor belt 71 is a pair of tincan deectors 99 and 100. Each deflector 99 and 100 includes two V belts101 and 102, respectively. The V belts of each deector 99 and 100 arearranged to run in parallel horizontal planes. All of the V belts 101and 102 run over pulleys 103 on a single rear shaft 104 at thetransverse center of the conveyor belt 71. The belts 101 also run overfront pulleys 105 on a driven shaft 106 and the belts 102 run over frontpulleys 107 on a driven shaft 108. The two shafts 104 and 106 aredirectly opposite each other and the belts 101 and 102, when they runover the pulleys 103 and 105, slightly overlap the inner edge portionsof the conveyor belts 88. The shafts 104, 106 and 108 are journaled in abearing bracket 109 rigidly secured to the frame 11 and overlie theconveyor belts 71 and 88.

The shaft 106 at its lower end is journaled in a bearing 110 on theframe 11 and is driven from the motor 83 by a belt 111 that runs over apulley 112 on the shaft 106 and a pulley 113 on the armature shaft 86 tosaid motor. The shaft 108 is driven from the shaft 106 by a crossed Vbelt 114 that runs over a pulley 115 on the shaft 106 and a pulley 116on the shaft 108.

Tin cans x to be handled by the above described machine are receivedfrom the manufacturer in rectangular paper bags, only one of which isshown and indicated as an entirety by the letter y with the exception ofits bottom member y1. The cans x in the bag y are arranged in tiers, asshown four, and a divider y2 is interposed between adjacent tiers. Eachdivider y2 is a heavy sheet of paper.

Operation Operation of the above described machine may be described asfollows: The bag y containing empty cans x is placed on the outerright-hand end portion of the table 13 and the four sides of each bag yare completely severed, close to the bottom member y1 of said bag, asindicated at y3 in Fig. 3, by any suitable means, such as a knife or aripping cord embodied in the side members of the bag y, but for thepurpose of this case it will not be necessary to show the same. Next thegate 22 of the right-hand carriage 17 is opened, as shown in Fig. 3,into a horizontal position in which it is above the bag y and thecarriage moved to receive the bag y and the gates 22 then closed. Duringthe closing of the gate 22, the catches 25 automatically interlock withthe lock lugs 26 and hold the gate 22 closed.

The carriage 17 is then moved into a position over the lift platform 15and during this movement, the bag y therein is being slid on the table13 and from thence onto said platform. It is important to note the loweredges of the carriage 17 and its gate 22 are close to the table 13 sothat the bottom member y1 of the bag y is kept thereby in its originalposition with respect to the bag y. As the carriage 17 is moved over theplatform 15, the dogs 30 first engage the adjacent cams 32, are liftedthereby and then projected into the lock notches 31 by the tensionedspring 39 and thus positively hold the carriage 17 centered over thelift platform 15.

After the carriage 17 has been positioned over the lift platform 15, thebag y with the exception of its bottom member y1, which has been cuttherefrom, is lifted from the carriage 17 to empty the same. Thispositioning of a carriage 17 over the lift platform 15 aligns the tiersof cans x thereon with the conveyor belt 71 and positions the uppermostdivider y2 in the plane of the upper run of said belt or just slightlyabove the same.

The upper tier of cans x is next shoved, as an entirety, by an suitablemeans, not shown, from the underlying divider y2, over the deck 98 andonto the conveyor belt 71. The back member 20 and the gate 22 whichproject above the side member 19 prevent the cans x from falling out ofthe carriage 17 as they are being moved to the conveyor belt 71.

After the discharge of the upper tier of cans x from the carriage 17,the hand lever 51 is operated to lift the platform and bring the nextbelow tier of cans x into a position to be fed to the conveyor belt 71and the uppermost divider y2 removed therefrom and said cans fed to theconveyor belt 71. This operation is repeated until all of the cans x inthe carriage 17 have been fed to the conveyor belt 71.

The cans x are carried in bulk by the conveyor belt 71 to the deflectors99 and 100. At this point, the cans x are divided and directed by the Vbelts 101 and 1112 onto the conveyor belts 88 which are movingconsiderably faster than the conveyor belt 71. The cans x, due to thedifferent speeds at which the conveyor belts 71 and S8 are moving, arespaced apart in a single row on each conveyor belt 88. From the conveyorbelts 88, the cans x are delivered to filling mechanism, not shown.

From the above summary of the operation, it is evident that while one ofthe carriages 17 is being unloaded, the other is being loaded. It willthus be seen that bags of cans may be quickly emptied and the cans fedto a filling apparatus.

This application is a continuation of our application, Serial No.748,132, tiled May 14, 1947, now Patent No. 2,656,910, entitled Meansfor Conveying and Arranging Cans in Rows.

From the foregoing, it must be evident that the invention hereindisclosed is capable of a large range of moditications within the spiritof the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

We claim:

l. In a machine of the class described, a table for slidably supportingthereon a bag containing receptacles in tiers, the body of the bag beingcompletely severed from its bottom member, a lift at one end of thetable and having a platform normally in the plane of the table,conveying means at one side of the lift and above the table, a carriagehaving a rectangular box-like body mounted to travel over the table, thebottom and the front of the carriage body being open, a gate normallyclosing the open front, said carriage being constructed and arrangedwhen moved away from the lift and toward the bag on the table to receivesaid bag through the open front of its body and completely encase thesame when the gate is closed with a working clearance between said bodyand bag whereby the bag may be lifted from the enclosed receptacles andthe bottom member, said gate being constructed and arranged to engagethe bag from top to bottom when the carriage is moved toward the liftand thereby slide the bag with the receptacles therein on the table andonto the platform of the lift, and means for operating the lift toproject its platform through the open body of the carriage and impart astep by step lifting movement to the receptacles to successivelyposition the tiers thereof for sliding movement out of the body and ontothe conveying means.

2. In a machine of the class described, a pair of track rails, a tablebetween the rails for slidably supporting a bag containing receptaclesin tiers, the body of the bag being completely severed from its bottommember, a lift at one end of the table and having a platform normally inthe plane of the table, conveying means at one side of the lift andabove the table, a carriage having a rectangular box-like body andwheels arranged to run on the track rails, the bottom and the front ofthe carriage body being open, a gate normally closing the open front ofthe body, said carriage being constructed and arranged when moved awayfrom the lift and toward a bag on the table to receive said bag throughthe open front of its body and completely encase the same when the gateis closed with a working clearance between said body and the bag,whereby the bag may be lifted from the enclosed receptacles and thebottom member, said gate being constructed and arranged to engage thebag from top to bottom when the carriage is moved toward the lift andthereby slide the bag with the receptacles on the table and onto theplatform of the lift, and means for operating the lift to project theplatform through the open body of the carriage and impart a step by steplifting movement to the receptacles to successively position the tiersthereof for sliding movement out of the body and onto the conveyingmeans, said gate and back member extending above the side members of thebody to afford guides for the receptacles in the upper tier as they aremoved out of the body and onto the conveying means.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, in which the gate is hinged at itstop to the carriage body for lifting movement into a raised position inwhich it will pass over the bag when the carriage body is moved toreceive the same.

4. The structure defined in claim l, in which one of the sides of thecarriage body is lower than the back thereof and the gate to permit theuppermost tier to be slid thereover from the carriage body and in whichthe back of the carriage body and the gate afford guides for saiduppermost tier as the same is being slid from the carriage.

5. A machine for unloading cans from multi-layer paper bag packages, andcomprising an elevator platform arranged to receive a can stackcomprising the package, receiving means disposed laterally adjacent theelevator platform, said elevator platform being movable from a lowerposition below the level of said receiving means to an upper positionsubstantially coplanar therewith, a supporting platform substantiallycoplanar with said elevator platform in its lower position, a framestructure including a series of side walls for substantiallyencompassing a can stack on the supporting platform at a positionremoved from the elevator platform, means mounting said frame structurefor shifting movement along said supporting platform between a positionreceiving and laterally encompassing the can stack to a positionencompassing the elevator platform with the can stack resting thereon,and means for raising the elevator platform step by step to bringsuccessive can layers into coplanar relation with said receiving means.

6. A machine for unloading cans as claimed in claim 5, wherein the meansmounting said frame structure for shifting movement along saidsupporting platform cornprises track and wheel mechanism.

7. A machine for unloading cans as claimed in claim 5, wherein the:frame structure comprises a wheel suppo-rted carriage having one sidein the form of a pivoted gate adapted to engage the package from top tobottom for shifting the same along the supporting platform to theelevator platform.

8. A machine for unloading cans as claimed in claim 5, wherein theelevator platform is located between lateral projections of thesupporting platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,338,048 Minaker et al Dec. 28, 1943

